Affair in Araby

ll know, n

or the police because Yussuf Dakmar might still be lurking in the neighbourhood for a chance to murder Narayan Singh. It was only after the police had carried off the prisoners to jail (

ry Arab script up to the lamplight; "and it's no more like his

y favour of Yussuf Dakmar Bey its Distric

hen, relying on the aid of the Most High, and raising the green banner of the Pro

erors were driven forth and our sacred banner was set on high over

, so that the independent state for which we fought is held today in ignominious

e is held by the British who, notwithstanding the oath th

gan and with our true swords force these infidels to yield our country to us. Nor on this occasion shall we s

ve to boast that he has footing in the land of our ancestors. Leave ye no root of them in the earth nor seedling that can spring into a tree!

Whereunto our army of Syria stands read

at dawn, is the appointed time. Therefore let all make common

ohammed the Prophet of G

er Feisul's indubitable seal. Grim figured a moment and worke

ly. "It means the French intend to

"Feisul'll give 'em --! Al

," Grim answered dourly. "F

'em s

. Grim didn't answer,

They forged this letter after the gas arrived. Now if they catch Feisul in Damascus they'll put him on t

's your proof that the French are jock

s paper. But not

e dictated it

st forgery, as I'll prove by confronting Feisul with it. But there's a little ove

but not so carefully that the indentation did not show, was the French word magnifique that had been written with a rather h

Mabel insisted. "All ed

ff was asked for an opin

rab orderly told me onl

in the hospital

sort the forger of the letter would be likely to raise i

. Feisul's private letters are all written with indelible black stuff

ibi, he naturally wouldn't use his s

eigner-perhaps a Frenchman-possibly an Armenian-most likely a Turk-certainly one of the outer ring of politicians who have access to Feisul and seek to control him, but are not really in

r will notify the French tonight through their agents in Jerusalem. The man who wrote that magnifique will know before mor

is letter. The only way to travel is by train; the roads are rotten-in fact,

etter back, for two reasons; as long as it's in our hands it can be used to establish proof of the plot against Feisul; once it's back in thei

n't that letter with me. Anyone known to be in British service is going to be suspected and, if not murdered, robbed. Ramsden has been seen about too much with me. Jeremy m

'you me

ow a woman

ourse

t a bed for the night

tain

ry bright indeed. It was her

, here's t

ooking at anybody, stating his case impersonally, as it

he's bound to lose this hand whichever way he plays it. To put it differently, he's in check, but not checkmated. He'l

ch can't be done if Feisul's enemies discover who carries it. If Ramsden, Jeremy, Narayan Singh and I start for Damascus, pretending that one or other

Too dangerous!" Tic

nger is for us four, who pr

er women and I've only

ck

ied to keep your body out of the poorhouse, your soul out of hell, and your name out of the newspapers. Your wife is presumably more so. There are several officials

e three murderers came to finish the lot of us? If Yussuf Dakmar makes

is three friends are in jail under lock and key, where he can't get at them. How long have you had

ence. Suppose I go in M

visibly

e evidence that she isn't on a dangerous mission," Grim answered. "No

ndering habit know too well what a brave, good-tempered wife means to encourage her to take long chances; for although there are lots of women who would like to wander and accept

own his ace of trumps face upward on the table.

ruler of the Arabs, provided they get their promised independence. He'd rather retire and live privately. But he only considers himself in so far as he can serve the Arab cause. Now,

t it that way..." sai

o bouquets. You won't have to stammer a s

" asked Ticknor, looking at

ourse

girl. Only,

again, then into my e

e any of you three chaps alive again unl

? I've agreed to give the thing to Feisul and make what terms I can with him. Jim and Rammy divvy up with me on

to give away a fortune that is still in prospect than a small sum that is really tangible-I mean between folk who s

day if I ever settle down. But the only gift of that sort that I ever knew to pay dividends, except to the printer of the gilt-edged scrip, is Jeremy's gold mine; an

and contrive an envelope that looked in the dark sufficiently like the alleged Feisul letter; and he carried that in his hand as he took to the street, with Narayan Singh followi

n the middle of the road, when a solitary shadow began stalking him, and doing it so cautiously that though he ha

ussuf Dakmar at large than to precipitate a climax by arresting him. He had the names of most of the local con

r of the night ready to care for belated Christian gentlemen who have looked on the wine when it was any colour that it cha

three of us crowding on to the rear seat in order to watch the cabs in front. But as soon as we had driven back out

ollowed us at long range, and as the lean horses toiled slowly up the Mount of Olives to headquarters the interval between the cabs grew greater. By the time we reached the guard-house and answered